Dishonest? Maybe "ignorant" is a better word for it.
But, call it what you will. It in no way explains the rationale for the passage of the Controlled Substances Act of 1970.
That act was passed for the same reason that the War on Drugs is still going today. People are making money from it, on both sides of the law.
Drug dealers of course make a lot of money but also lawyers, prosecutors, prison guards and police depend on the WoD to keep their jobs. The beer and liquor industry depend on the WoD to keep a very powerful competitor at bay. Who would take the damage that alcohol does to their body when they could smoke benign MJ (if there were no legal risk)?